Chapter 9 Fire and ambulance services

349 Pages·2015·3.51 MB·English

9 Fire and ambulance services
CONTENTS
9.1 Profile of emergency services for fire events 9.2
9.2 Framework of performance indicators for fire events 9.5
9.3 Key performance indicator results for fire events 9.7
9.4 Profile of emergency services for ambulance events 9.39
9.5 Framework of performance indicators for ambulance
events 9.43
9.6 Key performance indicator results for ambulance events 9.46
9.7 Future directions in performance reporting 9.76
9.8 Jurisdictions’ comments 9.77
9.9 Definitions of key terms 9.86
9.10 List of attachment tables 9.87
9.11 References 9.89

Attachment tables
Attachment tables are identified in references throughout this chapter by a ‘9A’ prefix (for
example, table 9A.1). A full list of attachment tables is provided at the end of this chapter, and
the attachment tables are available from the Review website at www.pc.gov.au/gsp.

This chapter reports on government services for fire events and emergency ambulance
events (pre-hospital care, treatment and transport). Information regarding the policy
context, scope, profile, social and economic factors, and objectives of the emergency
management sector (and related data) are included in the Emergency management sector
overview (sector overview D).
Major improvements in reporting on fire and ambulance services in this edition include:
• a new output indicator for the fire events performance indicator framework —
firefighter workforce — which provides information on fire service organisations’
human resource preparedness for fire events
FIRE AND AMBULANCE SERVICES 9.1
• a new output indicator for the ambulance events performance indicator framework —
paramedics in training — which complements the existing indicators of workforce
sustainability and will be measured by enrolments in accredited paramedic training
courses
• a mini-case study which identifies strategies implemented by the ACT Ambulance
Service to enable more effective management of increased demand for services, leading
to a positive impact on response times at the 50th and 90th percentile.
9.1 Profile of emergency services for fire events
A fire event is an incident that is reported to a fire service organisation and requires a
response. Fire events include (but are not limited to):
• structure fires (that is, fires inside a building or structure), regardless of whether there is
damage to the structure
• landscape fires, including bushfires and grass fires, regardless of the size of the area
burnt
• other fires, including vehicle and other mobile property fires, and outside rubbish fires.
Fire service organisations
Fire service organisations are the primary agencies involved in providing emergency
management services for fire events. The role of fire service organisations varies across
jurisdictions but commonly includes prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response and
recovery activities and services for each jurisdiction (table 9A.1). The full range of
activities include:
• developing building fire safety codes and inspecting fire safety equipment and practices
• training and educating the community to achieve community awareness and
behavioural change in relation to fire and road safety issues
• assisting individuals and communities to prepare for bushfires and other hazards
• responding to structure, bush, vehicle and other fires
• providing rural land management advice on the role and use of fire
• providing road crash rescue and other rescue services
• managing hazardous material incidents
• administering legislation relating to fire safety, hazardous materials facilities and
hazard mitigation
• investigating fire cause and origin
• providing specialist rescue capabilities, including Urban Search and Rescue
9.2 REPORT ON GOVERNMENT SERVICES 2015
• providing emergency medical services such as Community First Responder
• counter-terrorist preparedness work with police agencies and consequence management
relating to a terrorist attack.
Each jurisdiction operates multiple fire service agencies, which service different
populations and geographic area according to specified governance arrangements
(table 9A.2). Separate urban and rural fire service agencies deliver fire services in most
jurisdictions. In addition, land management agencies provide fire services within
designated areas (for example, in national or state parks). However, each jurisdiction
allocates the fire service responsibilities of their agencies in different ways — for example,
NSW separates fire services based on service function and geographic area, whereas
Victoria separates fire services by geographic area only.
Fire service organisations work closely with other government departments and agencies
that also have responsibilities in the case of fire events. These include ambulance service
organisations, State/Territory Emergency Services, police services, and community
services (Emergency management sector overview — attachment, table DA.1).
This chapter covers the finances and activities of urban and rural fire service agencies and
— for selected tables and jurisdictions — the fire event finances and activities of land
management agencies (table 9A.3).
Revenue and funding
Total revenue of the fire service organisations covered in this chapter was $3.6 billion in
2013-14. Real revenue of fire service organisations grew, on average, 3.6 per cent annually
over the period 2009-10 to 2013-14 (table 9.1). Within this period there are fluctuations for
individual jurisdictions, which can result from funding related to specific major
emergencies (see section 9.3). It should also be noted that jurisdictions may fund other fire
event services (not provided fire service organisations), on which data are currently not
available.
Fire levies were the primary source of funding in most jurisdictions. Governments provide
the legislative framework for the imposition of fire levies, which are raised from levies on
property owners or, in some jurisdictions, from levies on both insurance companies and
property owners (table 9A.4). The ACT and the NT do not raise fire levies, relying on
government grants as their largest revenue source. All states and territories also rely on
volunteer firefighters.
More information on fire service organisation funding and expenditure can be found in
section 9.3.
FIRE AND AMBULANCE SERVICES 9.3
Table 9.1 Real revenue of fire service organisations (2013-14 dollars)
($ million)a, b, c
NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust

2009-10 1 001.3 1 036.8 488.5 271.6 187.5 74.9 57.2 28.2 3 145.9
2010-11 997.2 1 042.5 509.7 412.0 173.1 67.5 51.4 30.7 3 284.1
2011-12 977.3 1 194.1 515.4 419.6 183.2 70.0 66.0 37.1 3 462.8
2012-13 1 023.0 1 157.0 508.5 365.9 179.9 84.1 61.7 49.3 3 429.5
2013-14 1 101.8 1 184.7 622.1 341.1 207.8 74.1 62.8 32.6 3 627.1

a Time series financial data are adjusted to 2013-14 dollars using the General Government Final
Consumption Expenditure (GGFCE) chain price deflator (2013-14 = 100) (table 2A.51). See chapter 2
(sections 2.5-6) for details. b Figures vary from year to year as a result of abnormal expenditure related to
the response to specific major emergencies. (For jurisdiction examples see notes to attachment
table 9A.4). c Financial and activity data are affected by the reporting scope of each jurisdiction’s ‘fire
service organisation’. See table 9A.3 for details for the scope of jurisdictional reporting, including the impact
of machinery of government changes.
Source: State and Territory governments (unpublished); table 9A.4.

Human resources
Nationally, 19 198 full time equivalent (FTE) paid personnel were employed by fire
service organisations in 2013-14, of which 77.1 per cent were paid firefighters. A large
number of volunteer firefighters (223 727 people) also participated in the delivery of fire
services in 2013-14 (table 9A.5).
More information on fire service organisation human resources can be found in section 9.3.
Demand for fire service organisation services
Australian fire service organisations provide emergency response and rescue services for a
range of domestic, industrial, medical, and transport fire and emergency events. Nationally,
fire service organisations attended a total of 384 017 emergency incidents in 2013-14, of
which 101 867 were fire event incidents (table 9A.13).
More information on the range of emergency events to which fire service organisations
respond can be found in section 9.3.
9.4 REPORT ON GOVERNMENT SERVICES 2015
9.2 Framework of performance indicators for fire
events
Figure 9.1 presents the performance indicator framework for fire events, based on the
general framework for all emergency events (see the Emergency management sector
overview box D.3) and governments’ objectives for emergency services for fire events
(box 9.1).

Box 9.1 Objectives for emergency services for fire events
Emergency services for fire events aim to build fire resilient communities that work together to
understand and manage the fire risks that they confront. Emergency management services
provide highly effective, efficient and accessible services that:
• reduce the adverse effects of fire events on the community (including people, property,
infrastructure, economy and environment)
• contribute to the management of fire risks to the community
• enhance public safety.

The performance indicator framework provides information on equity, efficiency and
effectiveness, and distinguishes the outputs and outcomes of emergency services for fire
events (figure 9.1). To reflect the activities of the emergency management sector,
performance reporting also reflects the prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response and
recovery framework (sector overview D). The performance indicator framework shows
which data are comparable in the 2015 Report. For data that are not considered directly
comparable, text includes relevant caveats and supporting commentary. Chapter 1
discusses data comparability and data completeness from a Report-wide perspective
(section 1.6).
The Report’s statistical context chapter contains data that may assist in interpreting the
performance indicators presented in this chapter. These data cover a range of demographic
and geographic characteristics, including age profile, geographic distribution of the
population, income levels, education levels, tenure of dwellings and cultural heritage
(including Indigenous- and ethnic-status) (chapter 2).
FIRE AND AMBULANCE SERVICES 9.5
Figure 9.1 Fire events performance indicator framework
Objectives
Fire incidents
Prevention/ Fire risk prevention/
mitigation mitigation activities
Fire death rate
PERFORMANCE
Level of safe fire
Preparedness practices in the
Fire injury rate
community
Equity
Firefighter workforce
Confinement to
Effectiveness
room/object of origin
Response times to
Response
structure fires
Value of asset losses
from fire events
To be
Recovery
developed
Fire services
Efficiency expenditure per
person
Key to indicators* Outputs Outcomes
Text Most recent data for all measures are comparable and complete
Text Most recent data for at least one measure are comparable and complete
Text Most recent data for all measures are either not comparable and/or not complete
Text No data reported and/or no measures yet developed
* A description of the comparability and completeness of each measure is provided in indicator interpretation
boxes within the chapter

Data quality information (DQI) is being progressively introduced for all indicators in the
Report. The purpose of DQI is to provide structured and consistent information about
quality aspects of data used to report on performance indicators, in addition to material in
the chapter or sector overview and attachment tables. DQI in this Report cover the seven
dimensions in the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data quality framework
(institutional environment, relevance, timeliness, accuracy, coherence, accessibility and
interpretability) in addition to dimensions that define and describe performance indicators
in a consistent manner, and key data gaps and issues identified by the Steering Committee.
All DQI for the 2015 Report can be found at www.pc.gov.au/rogs/2015.
Performance information is reported for a number of indicators. These results might have
been influenced by factors such as differences in climatic and weather conditions, the
socio-demographic and topographic composition of jurisdictions, property values and
9.6 REPORT ON GOVERNMENT SERVICES 2015
dwelling construction types. Importantly, jurisdictions also have diverse legislative fire
protection requirements.
Results need to be interpreted with care because data might have been derived from small
samples (for example, jurisdictions’ fire safety measures surveys) or may be highly
variable as a result of relatively small populations (as in Tasmania, the ACT and the NT).
The role of volunteers also needs to be considered when interpreting some indicators (such
as fire service organisation expenditure per person). Volunteer personnel provide a
substantial proportion of fire services (and emergency services more generally). While
costs such as the training and equipment associated with volunteers are included in the cost
of fire service provision, the labour costs of providing fire services would be greater
without volunteers (assuming these functions were still performed).
Information has not been reported for all fire events in each jurisdiction consistently over
time. Reported results sometimes exclude rural fire events, so performance data are not
always directly comparable across jurisdictions.
9.3 Key performance indicator results for fire events
Outputs
Outputs are the services delivered (while outcomes are the impact of these services on the
status of an individual or group) (see chapter 1, section 1.5).
Equity and effectiveness
Equity and effectiveness indicators are linked for fire events.
• The equity dimension relates to whether specific parts of the community with special
needs or difficulties in accessing government services benefit from fire services’
activities. This chapter currently provides data on services provided in remote
locations, but not for other special needs groups.
• The effectiveness dimension relates to the fire service organisations’ ability to meet the
objectives of prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.
Equity and effectiveness — prevention/mitigation
Prevention/mitigation indicators relate to fire service organisations’ ability to prevent fires
and mitigate fire damage.
FIRE AND AMBULANCE SERVICES 9.7
Fire incidents
‘Fire incidents’ is an indicator of governments’ objective to manage the risk of fires by
preventing/reducing the number of structure, landscape and other fires (box 9.2).

Box 9.2 Fire incidents
‘Fire incidents’ is defined as the number of fire events that are reported to a fire service
organisation that require a response, per 100 000 people.
As contextual information, measures are also provided for false alarm events and non-fire
events that fire service organisations attend.
A low or decreasing number of fire incidents per 100 000 people suggests a greater likelihood
that the adverse effects of fire will be avoided or reduced.
Data reported for this measure are:
• comparable (subject to caveats) within jurisdictions over time but are not comparable across
jurisdictions
• complete (subject to caveats) for the current reporting period. All required 2013-14 data are
available for all jurisdictions.
Data quality information for this indicator is at www.pc.gov.au/rogs/2015.

Nationally in 2013-14, fire service organisations attended 437 fire incidents
per 100 000 people in the population, a decrease from the rate of 490 fire incidents
per 100 000 people in 2012-13 (figure 9.2).
9.8 REPORT ON GOVERNMENT SERVICES 2015
Figure 9.2 Fire incidents that fire service organisations attended,
per 100 000 peoplea, b, c, d, e
1 400
e
pl1 200
o
e
p1 000
0
0
0 800
0
0 600
1
s/
nt 400
e
d
ci 200
n
I
0
01234 01234 01234 01234 01234 01234 01234 01234 01234
11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111
9-0-1-2-3- 9-0-1-2-3- 9-0-1-2-3- 9-0-1-2-3- 9-0-1-2-3- 9-0-1-2-3- 9-0-1-2-3- 9-0-1-2-3- 9-0-1-2-3-
01111 01111 01111 01111 01111 01111 01111 01111 01111
00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000
22222 22222 22222 22222 22222 22222 22222 22222 22222
NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
Structure Landscape Other

a Activity data are affected by the reporting scope of each jurisdiction’s ‘fire service organisation’. See
table 9A.3 for details for the scope of agencies’ reporting. b Jurisdictions provide data for both urban and
rural services (including land management agencies) and for both career and volunteer services, other
than the NT — see table 9A.14 for caveats. c Population data used to derive rates are as at 31 December.
Estimated Resident Population (ERP) data for 2009 to 2010 are final, based on the 2011 Census of
Population and Housing. Estimates for 2011 onwards are preliminary. See chapter 2 (table 2A.2) for
details. d Qld: Accurate identification of incidents attended by the former Queensland Fire Rescue Service
(QFRS) Rural brigades prior to 2013-14 was not possible due to incomplete voluntary reporting
procedures. New procedures were fully implemented from 1 July 2013. e NT: The high number of
incidents per 100 000 people can be attributed to deliberately lit fires and the large number of grass fires in
northern Australia that are caused by the annual growth of vegetation following the wet season.
Source: State and Territory governments (unpublished); ABS (unpublished); table 9A.14.

Changes in the fire incident rate can be understood by analysing changes in the number of
structure fires, landscape fires and other fires.
• Structure fire incidents — Nationally in 2013-14 there were 19 524 structure fires (a
rate of 84 per 100 000 people), a decrease from 19 947 structure fires in 2012-13 (a rate
of 87 per 100 000 people) (figure 9.2 and table 9A.13).
Discussion of the fire risk prevention/mitigation activities indicator provides further
analysis of structure fire rates (box 9.3).
• Landscape fire incidents — Landscape fire incidents include all vegetation fires (such
as bushfires or grassfires), irrespective of the size of the area burnt and can vary
substantially in their impact on fire resources, the community and longer term
consequences. Decreases in the rate of landscape fire incidents per 100 000 people
were recorded in most jurisdictions in 2013-14. Nationally in 2013-14, 43 646
landscape (bush and grass) fire incidents were reported by fire service and land
management agencies, a rate of 187 fires per 100 000 people, or 5.7 per 100 000
FIRE AND AMBULANCE SERVICES 9.9
hectares. The number of landscape fires per 100 000 people declined from 213 fires per
100 000 people in 2012-13, or 6.3 landscape fires per 100 000 hectares (figure 9.2 and
table 9A.16).
The number and severity of landscape fires is influenced by many interrelated factors,
including: environmental factors, such as weather, climate, and landscape conditions
(fuel loads associated with growth and dryness of grasses and forests); and human
factors, with the majority of landscape fires triggered by human activity (AIC 2008).
For the 2013-14 fire season, Australia generally experienced warmer but approximately
average rainfall conditions (BoM 2014). The Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre
predicted normal to above normal fire potential (BCRC 2013).
• Other fire incidents — Nationally in 2013-14, there were 38 697 other fires (such as
mobile property type fires [cars, planes, etc] or outside storage fires) (a rate of 166 per
100 000 people). The number of other fire incidents decreased from 43 582 other fires
in 2012-13 (a rate of 190 per 100 000 people) (figure 9.2 and table 9A.13).
Fire incidents — false alarms
A significant proportion of calls for assistance across all jurisdictions are found upon
investigation to be false alarms. Fire service organisations are required by legislation to
respond to all calls and investigate the site prior to determining a false alarm. Nationally in
2013-14, fire service organisations attended 109 611 system initiated and malicious false
calls incidents, 28.5 per cent of all incidents attended. On average each fire alarm system in
Australia generates 2.8 false alarms per year (AFAC unpublished). Most incidents found to
be false alarms are a result of system initiated false alarms (table 9A.13).
Contemporary fire alarm systems are an integral part of the built environment and have a
significant role in the protection of life and property. However, attending unwanted false
alarms has social and economic impacts, including:
• repeated unwanted alarms can foster a culture of complacency, adversely affecting
community fire safety
• community costs arise from lost working time and alarm attendance charges
• fire appliances can be delayed in responding to an emergency as a result of having to
deal with unwanted fire alarms (AFAC 2012).
Non-fire incidents
Fire service organisations provide services for a range of non-fire emergency events
(figure 9.3). In 2013-14, attendance at other emergencies and incidents accounted for
55.6 per cent of total incidents (excluding false alarms) (table 9A.13).
9.10 REPORT ON GOVERNMENT SERVICES 2015